Media release

Northern Express Service Hits One Million Passenger Journey Mark

Monday 20 August 2007: Auckland’s Northern Express bus service picked up the passenger taking the one millionth journey on the service this afternoon at Britomart Transport Centre.

Mrs Margie Rice has been a regular on the Northern Express service since the very day the service began in November 2005.

The highly popular service, which began in November 2005, provides a fast, frequent transport connection between the North Shore and Auckland’s Central Business District, and runs through Albany and Constellation bus stations on the North Shore along the soon to be opened Northern Busway.

North Shore’s Mayor, George Wood, who was on the bus to congratulate the passenger taking the one millionth journey, says, “The service has managed to do what many people thought was impossible, get North Shoreites out of their cars and onto public transport and they are doing it in their droves.

“The service averages 57,000 journeys every month. March and May this year were record months with patronage exceeding 70,000 journeys. The one million passenger journey mark was reached by ARTA and their operator Ritchies, three months ahead of the anticipated target which was November this year.

“The stations themselves meet international best practice for personal security, something that is very important for users of public transport.

“For Wellingtonians and Cantabrians taking the bus is ho hum, to have this many Aucklanders taking a bus service is extraordinary and a real change in behaviour.

“A survey of Northern Express users last year showed that 39 per cent of people on the service are first time public transport users who intend to continue to use the bus and not their cars. A large number of students also use the service.

‘With the opening of the Northern Busway itself early next year, we anticipate even more North Shore residents choosing to use public transport to get to and from work and places of learning”, says Mr Wood.

ARTA’s Chief Executive, Fergus Gammie, says, “The Northern Express service is fast, frequent, reliable, comfortable and good value for money, everything our customers tell us they want from a public transport service.

“A car journey takes approximately 59 minutes at morning peak to get from Albany bus station to Auckland’s CBD. The Northern Express takes 25 minutes.

“The decongestion impact of the service means 540 fewer cars make the trip from the North Shore to the CBD during the morning peak. The Busway itself is expected to carry more people during morning peak than the adjacent six lanes of State Highway One.

“For ARTA, the Northern Express service provides a model for encouraging Aucklanders to give public transport a try as we work through the step by step redevelopment of Auckland’s passenger transport network”, says Mr Gammie.

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